English Recordings

Hi Kate! I hope you are well. This year, I am grateful for a lot of things such as my family, my close friends and my Sunday morning brunches! That’s why I’m so excited to celebrate Thanksgiving and I would love to have you come! My whole family will be there: my mom and dad, my sister, my grandparents, except for my brother who will be working. After a few drinks, we will settle at the table for the next few hours. We will have a huge feast, with the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, peas, corn and pumpkin pie of course. After lunch, we will probably watch the parade or a football game, it’ll be fun! I’ll be waiting for you at noon on Thanksgiving day, hope to see you there!

Hi Kate! I hope you are well. This year, I am grateful for a lot of things such as my family, my close friends and my Sunday morning brunches! That’s why I’m so excited to celebrate Thanksgiving and I would love to have you come! My whole family will be there: my mom and dad, my sister, my grandparents, except for my brother who will be working. After a few drinks, we will settle at the table for the next few hours. We will have a huge feast, with the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, peas, corn and pumpkin pie of course. After lunch, we will probably watch the parade or a football game, it’ll be fun! I’ll be waiting for you at noon on Thanksgiving day, hope to see you there!

i wouldn't say that i didn't know that but i have to say that i knew it only last week.

No code has such a complicated history as Louisiana’s Black Code. The Black Code was introduced in Louisiana in 1724, based on the Code Noir developed in French Caribbean colonies. The French laws about slavery gave greater rights to enslaved persons than their British and Dutch counterparts. Owners of enslaved persons were required to baptize them in the Catholic faith and to give them Sundays off for worship. They were forbidden from severe mistreatment. Enslaved persons were allowed to marry and separation of families was not permitted. However, Louisiana’s law differed from the law in the Caribbean in several negative ways. Interracial marriage was prohibited. Enslaved persons could no longer be freed at their master’s discretion; instead, the Superior Council’s approval was required to grant all requests for freedom. Freedom could not be granted out of mere generosity. The Council required an extraordinary reason for freedom.

Activity 1: Listen to these conversations between a teacher and a pupil.

- Oliver, you're late! What's your excuse today?
- I'm sorry. I overslept this morning and then I missed my bus.
- Oh really! Go and get a late slip. Hurry!

- What's wrong Tracy?
- I don't feel well. I've got a headache and a bad sore throat. Please, can I go to the nurse?
- All right.

- Oh, Brenda, you're back. You were away last week. What happened?
- I had a bad car accident and I broke my leg.
- I'm sorry to hear that. Have you got your absence note?
- Here it is.

- Good morning Harry. Where were you yesterday?
- Sorry for my absence. I had an appointment at the dentist's because I had a toothache. It hurt so much!
- Are you feeling better today?
- Yes, thank you Sir.

Activity 2: Listen to each student and write in French what you would do to help , just like in the example.

Example: I can't hear you. Could you speak up please?

Pupil 1: Excuse me, I can't see the board. Could you step aside please?
Pupil 2: Oh no! I've lost my rubber. Can you lend me yours please?
Pupil 3: I can't see anything. Could you switch on the lights please?
Pupil 4: I've left my pencil box at home. Can anybody lend me a pen, please?
Pupil 5: I don't know that word. What does it mean?
Pupil 6: I'm hot. Could you pull down the blinds please?

If life has spring, summer, autumn and winter; we tend to be liberals in spring and summer, but we're likely to gradually turn into conservatives in autumn and winter.

1. Do you have a talent , or something you are good at ?
Well , yes , I consider myself a good cook . Living in the dormitory during my college years has helped me develop such an invaluable skill . I also inherit it from my mother who always cooks delicious meals for the family

2. Do you have a talent or something you are good at?
Yes. I think I have a knack for singing. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve performed in many shows and school events. Moreover, I’m quite good at math, I can do mental calculations quickly and precisely and I used to have a pretty good score in Mathematics.

3. Was it mastered recently or when you were young?
Well, I don’t think I would ever master it but I guess I’ve always been really musical. My mom – noticing my passion for music – signed me up for singing classes when I was 3. These classes provided me with a real leg up to hone my skill in singing. Regarding my arithmetic ability, I have to say that it comes pretty naturally to me since I’ve never taken any classes for mental calculations.

4. Do you think your talent can be useful for your future work? Why?
Yes sure, singing can be used to earn a living if I am devoted to being a singer or it can be useful for family and company gatherings. Also, the value of mental arithmetic is quite apparent when I need to add up bills or do complex calculations. Basically, it makes life so much easier.

5. Do you think anyone in your family has the same talent?
I must say I have a talented family. My mom and my aunt are singers while my dad is a math teacher. I’m pretty sure that I’ve inherited all my abilities from my family members.

"Spirituals"
In the 19th century black slaves composed religious songs called Spirituals. They sang while they worked in the cotton fields. They needed the rhythm of the songs to help them with their backbreaking work when they picked cotton or when they collected tobacco or sugar. The songs also expressed their pains and sorrows, and their desire for freedom. Congo Square in New Orleans is the exact birthplace of jazz because it was the only place where slaves were allowed to gather every Sunday, to sing, dance and play their music.
After the Civil War, as freed African Americans moved north and west to work in the industrial and railway industries, the agricultural songs of the slave era developed to suit these situations. In the 20th century, Spirituals songs gave birth to the Gospel and the Blues. "To have the blues" means to feel sad, melancholic and desperate. African American musical traditions influenced musical styles such as Rock'n'roll, R&B (Rhythm and Blues), soul, funk, and disco. During the 1980s and 1990s, the emergence of hip-hop and rap took African American musical traditions in new directions and created a distinctive art form as grounded in social protest as the early spirituals.

My mom is a mummy

My mom is a mummy